Annual Leave Entitlements For Educators

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner early childhood services will be shutting down for a period of time and many of you will be on annual leave. Do you know how much annual leave you receive, how much annual leave you accumulate? The following article will provide you with details on your annual leave entitlements according to the Children’s Services Award 2010.

Taking Annual Leave during the Christmas Period

For centres that are closing down during the Christmas holidays, you will be directed to take annual leave during this time.

If you don’t have enough leave to cover this shut down you will have to:

take all of your accrued paid leave

take unpaid leave for a maximum of 4 weeks

agree with your director to take annual leave wholly or partly in advance

How Much Annual Leave Do You Receive

As a full time or part time educator (except if you are a casual) you are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service you complete with your current centre. Your entitlement to annual leave accrues on a continuous basis according to the number of ordinary hours you have worked.

For example – Jane is a part time educator who work 30 hours per week for a year.

During one year, she will accumulate 120 hours of annual leave (30 x 4 weeks).

During the Christmas vacation, when your centre is shut down you will continue to accumulate annual leave while on paid leave during the shutdown of the centre.

How Does Annual Leave Accumulate

Annual leave accumulates from the first day of your employment, even if you are on a probation period. It accumulates gradually during the year and any unused annual lave will roll over from year to year. You will accrue annual leave when you are on:

paid leave such as paid annual leave and paid sick and carer’s leave

community service leave including jury duty

long service leave

You do not accumulate annual leave when you’re on:

unpaid annual leave

unpaid sick/carer’s leave

unpaid parental leave

Payment Required When You Take Annual Leave

Your annual leave is paid at your base pay rate for all ordinary hours worked. For example if you work a 8 hour day then you will be paid for 8 hours of each day you would typically work. In addition you will also be paid an annual leave loading of 17.5%. This does not include extra payments such as:

overtime rates

penalties

allowances

bonuses

Annual Leave When You’re Sick or Injured

If you are sick or injured while on annual leave, you can use your paid sick or carer’s leave entitlements instead of using your annual leave. Your director can still request that you provide notice and evidence (such as a doctors certificate) while you’re on annual leave. Your director can’t tell you to take annual leave while you’re taking sick or carer’s leave though.

Annual Leave When Employment Ends

When you leave the centre, you will be paid out all your unused annual leave as part of your final pay. This payment also includes annual leave loading.

As an employee it’s important to know what you’re entitled to and this information should help you understand your annual leave entitlements.